Radiofrequency technique may make tonsillectomy recovery easier
The question: When tonsils need to be removed, doctors today frequently use some form of heat-driven technology, such as electrocauterization or laser surgery. Might coblation, a newer procedure that uses radiofrequency energy and saline to dissolve tissue, offer faster and more comfortable recovery?
This study randomly assigned 89 children who needed tonsillectomies to have either conventional electrosurgery or coblation. Surgeons rated the procedures as equally effective. Daily diaries kept by the children (who were aged 3 to 12) and their parents for two weeks after surgery showed that, on average, the coblation patients used painkillers one day less than those who had electrosurgery, and they took smaller doses of these drugs. Fewer in the coblation group reported nausea, and fewer contacted a doctor about complications.
Who may be affected by these findings? Children who need a tonsillectomy. Today, tonsillitis (infected tonsils) often is treated with antibiotics, with surgery recommended only if breathing or swallowing is affected or if the problem returns frequently.
Caveats: These findings may not apply to teens and adults. A doctor’s expertise with coblation could affect outcomes. The study was funded by ArthroCare Corp., which makes coblation products.
Bottom line: Parents of a child needing a tonsillectomy may want to ask their doctor about coblation.
Find this study: June issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery; abstract available online at www.sciencedirect.com/science/ journal/01945998.
Learn more about tonsils and tonsillectomies by searching for “tonsils” at www.kidshealth.org and www.entnet.org.